When You Wish Upon A Star
by Anita-Louise
Summary: Will the romance of Christmas bring these two people together?


Title: When You wish Upon A Star  
  
Author: Anita - Louise (Boilerella@aol.com)  
  
Summary: Will the romance of Christmas bring these two people together?  
  
Category: SC/SK friendship Leading to SSR.  
  
Spoilers: None really. It's set around season 7 to fit in with 2000.  
  
Rating: G. Just a happy festive piece.   
  
Dedication: For my friend Kristen. I promised her that one day I would write an SSR piece and here it is. Enjoy honey.  
  
Feedback: Yes please! Think of it as a Christmas gift.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own them. I cannot afford them. Which is too bad. Dana Scully, Fox Mulder and Walter Skinner belong to the great ::cough, cough:: Chris Carter, Fox network and 1013 Productions. This is a bit of harmless fun. Honest.  
  
The eclipse article I mentioned earlier, was written by Richard Stenger and I asked no permission to use it. No infringement intended.  
  
Author's Notes: This is in response to a challenge that my good friend and BETA, Kristen set on the website 'Scuttlebutts'. Now as people know, I'm no SSR author. I have to admit I prefer MSR (please no flames) but I decided that I would give it a go when she told me about it. The criteria was that it:  
  
1 - must be SSR, that's a given for this group. 2 - must involve Christmas or the Christmas. season 3 - must involve a Christmas miracle.  
  
Number 1, check. Number 2, check. Number 3, check.  
  
The whole idea about Jupiter being double eclipsed is a true idea. I was researching Christmas phenomenon and found this in an article on CNN. I have though used a little bit of author licence (is there such a thing?) about it happening in 2000. This is my first attempt at a SC/SK piece (except the small pieces I did to help Kristen) so I hope you enjoy.  
  
MERRY CHRISTMAS!  
  
Anita - Louise  
  
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x  
  
When You Wish Upon A Star  
  
Dana Scully finished wrapping the final present and placed it carefully underneath the small Christmas tree she had decorated a few days before. She breathed a sigh of relief. While she loved the Christmas season, she hated the commercialism that went along with it. Also, it seemed as time went on the holidays started to bring back more bad memories than good ones.   
  
As the television ran "Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street" she heard the phone trill happily across the room.  
  
"Hello?" she asked, looking at the clock. It was nearly 10.45 at night.  
  
"Dana? Is that you?" She smiled upon hearing the voice. Just the person she needed to hear.  
  
"Yeah Walter. I'm here. What's wrong?"   
  
"Why would anything be wrong?"   
  
"Well you don't usually call me this late at night." She said, picking up the remaining wrapping paper scattered on the floor.  
  
"Listen Dana, can you meet me outside the Hoover building? I want to show you something." He sounded very serious.  
  
"Walter, it's late." Scully argued half-heartedly. Her heart not really into it. Secretly she knew she would do anything he wanted.  
  
"Please Dana." She could imagine him sitting on his couch, his eyes wide. Pleading.  
  
She sighed again. "Okay, okay. Give me half an hour."   
  
The said their goodbyes and then she placed the receiver back on its holder.  
  
Scully trudged through the apartment and went into her bedroom. After she had thrown together a few combinations of clothes, she settled on a pair of black pants with a white angora sweater to keep herself warm.  
  
Five minutes later, she exited the room and walked to the front door, picking up her car keys. She walked down the exterior hallway and threw open the door, gasping as the cold air hit her face giving her a new sense of alertness.  
  
The ride over was uneventful and she arrived at the FBI headquarters by ten past eleven.   
  
x-x-x-x  
  
Walter Skinner paced up and down the sidewalk with his hands tucked into his pockets, his lungs blowing white puffs of air into the cold night. A smile adorned his face as he saw her car pull up beside him.  
  
"You'd better have a damn good reason for dragging me out at this hour on Christmas Eve Walter," she warned him once she had rolled down the window.  
  
"You bet I do." He smiled at her and then continued. "Go park your car and meet me back here. Okay?"  
  
She did not answer but put the car back into gear and drove into the parking garage.   
  
x-x-x-x  
  
A few minutes later she rejoined him and together they walked along the sidewalk. He gently eased his arm between them and clasped her hand in his.  
  
"So," Scully began curiously. "Where am I being taken this late at night?" She looked up at Skinner and saw that a large grin began to spread across his face.  
  
After a few beats, he responded with, "You'll see." And said nothing more on the matter.  
  
They rounded the corner and carried on throughout DC as Scully began to wish that she had thrown on a more comfortable pair of shoes. Heels were not suitable for this kind of weather she mused.  
  
About twenty minutes later, the duo reached the gates of Galliger Park. It was dark and windy now. The moonlight casting an almost heavenly glow through the thick clouds. Scully shivered and in response, Skinner slipped his arm around her waist and drew her closer to him, a guarded intimate gesture.  
  
"Why are we here?" She asked him looking up at him soft blue eyes meeting gentle brown ones.  
  
"I wanted to show you something. Do you know what day it is?" He asked her, opening the heavy wrought iron gates which gave an unhealthy groan.  
  
"Yeah, it's Christmas Eve at.." She consulted her watch. "11:42. She stared at him impatiently.  
  
"No, it's a very special night. Come on, come with me." He took her hands and led her into the park.  
  
x-x-x-x  
  
As they emerged over the hill, Scully gave a small gasp at the sight that came before her.  
  
At the crevice at the bottom of the hill, there sat a table bathed in a candlelight glow. Either side were two chairs, roses entwined between the bars. A checkered table cloth was draped over the table, with two plates covered with matching silver plate warmers upon it. Two white wax candles sat in the center of the table, held regally in two silver candle holders.  
  
Skinner half dragged Scully down the hill and they came to a stop just in front of the table. Scully turned to face him, her face overcome with emotion.  
  
"You did all of this for me?" She asked him, her voice cracking on the last syllable.  
  
He smiled softly and ran his thumb over the back of the hand he still held. "I said over the phone that I wanted to show you something. Something special. Something even more special than this...this is just something..." He trailed off.  
  
"Walter," she smiled softly, looking at his handsome face in the starlight, "what could be more special than this?"  
  
"This," he pointed at the scene. "Is only half of the surprise. Come with me." He once again tugged on her hand and led her back up the hill. Once they had reached the peak, he took off his overcoat and laid it upon the ground as an imitation of a picnic blanket. He then sat down pulling her with him. Skinner looked down at his watch and seemed happy when his glance turned back to face Scully. "2000 years ago, a small boy was born in Bethlehem. This small boy grew up into a man who changed the course and belief of every man women and child alive today." He studied her look, a small smile crossing her features. "On that night, a star shone brightly in the sky, which is believed that it led the wise men to the stable in Bethlehem. Recently, there has been a new idea discussed which says that it may have been from a supernova or a comet… But it also could have been a double eclipse of Jupiter." Seeing Scullys' look, he continued. "Just bear with me, I know I'm starting to sound like Mulder but… Tonight, it is rumoured that it will happen again. This very night. Exactly 2000 years to the day."  
  
He turned to face her and pulled her hands to his chest so they rested near his heart, as he continued. "And I wanted to share it with you."  
  
Scully felt tears come to her eyes. No one had ever treated her like this. So tenderly without expecting something in return. "Walter, I don't know what to say." She choked out after a few beats.  
  
"Don't say anything." He placed his finger against her lips. "It's about to start." He whispered.  
  
Together, they turned to face the horizon and in the distance, a star glowed brighter than the rest. Skinner looked sideways and saw Scully staring enraptured at the sky line. He placed his arm around her shoulders and she slowly leaned against him. She gently stroked the side of his face as he leaned in to kiss her gently and tenderly. After a few seconds, the kiss broke and they stared at each other for a minute. Then, the two snuggled into each other Scully letting her head rest on his chest, Walter letting his rest on her hair. In the quiet stillness, the dinner forgotten, they let sleep take them. As the minutes turned to hours, light began to rise and take over the darkness as the two happily slept…  
  
x-x-x-x 


End file.
